The Attack on the Sighting of the Lunar Crescent and the Call for Astronomical Calculation
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Question:
We conclude with a question. Of course, we have become accustomed in past years to the fact that in the last days of Sha'ban, the attack on the Sunnah of sighting the lunar crescent begins. They fight against it in the newspapers, claiming that it has led to the dispersion of the Ummah. They call, that is, they call for adopting astronomical calculation on the pretext that it is what will unite the Ummah and make them, that is, fast on one day and break their fast on one day. So what is your comment on this?
Answer:
Allah, Exalted and Majestic, tied the matter to the new moons[Al-Baqarah 2:189], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) tied fasting and breaking the fast to the crescent Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 3:154. This is the word of Allah and the word of His Messenger. Let these people say what they wish; we will never abandon the Book of our Lord and the Sunnah of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) because of what these people say.
Also, calculation is subject to error because it is human work. As for the crescent, it is seen, and there is no disagreement about it; it is seen in the sky, clear, with no disagreement about it. So there is a difference between calculation and sighting the crescent. As for what scattered the people and divided them, it is disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah), not the crescent that divided them. It was not the crescent that divided them.
What divided them is shirk and disbelief in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and the adoption of the laws of tyrants and the suspension of the Book of Allah. This is what divided them. If they want to unite the Muslims, let them unite them through tawhid (the oneness of Allah), the correct creed, and by ruling by the Book of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. By this, they will be united, and by anything else, they will never be united.
We conclude with a question. Of course, we have become accustomed in past years to the fact that in the last days of Sha'ban, the attack on the Sunnah of sighting the lunar crescent begins. They fight against it in the newspapers, claiming that it has led to the dispersion of the Ummah. They call, that is, they call for adopting astronomical calculation on the pretext that it is what will unite the Ummah and make them, that is, fast on one day and break their fast on one day. So what is your comment on this?
Answer:
Allah, Exalted and Majestic, tied the matter to the new moons
They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, "They are measurements of time for the people
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِFast when you see it, and break your fast when you see it. If it is cloudy for you, then estimate it for it.
صوموا لرؤيته وأفطروا لرؤيته فإن غم عليكم فاقدروا لهAlso, calculation is subject to error because it is human work. As for the crescent, it is seen, and there is no disagreement about it; it is seen in the sky, clear, with no disagreement about it. So there is a difference between calculation and sighting the crescent. As for what scattered the people and divided them, it is disbelief and shirk (associating partners with Allah), not the crescent that divided them. It was not the crescent that divided them.
What divided them is shirk and disbelief in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and the adoption of the laws of tyrants and the suspension of the Book of Allah. This is what divided them. If they want to unite the Muslims, let them unite them through tawhid (the oneness of Allah), the correct creed, and by ruling by the Book of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. By this, they will be united, and by anything else, they will never be united.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-037-الفرق بين التيسير الشرعي والمعاصر|صالح الفوزان|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:21:39)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.